by Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

by Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

With Revolution, NBC is clearly hoping "gone" does not equal "forgotten."

The NBC sci-fi adventure, fall's most popular new series among younger viewers, is in the midst of a four-month break that started November 26 and will stretch to the end of March. It's a risk -- but producer J.J. Abrams, who went through a similar break in Lost, says he's happy to take it.

The advantage, says Abrams, is that when Revolution returns, it can run straight through without further breaks or repeats. Doing that with Lost, he says, "just helped enormously. So when the idea came up, I was just enormously relieved."

Producer Eric Kripke says there was another, creative advantage for the show, which is set in a sword-swinging, horse-riding world without electricity. Taking some time off allowed the writers to catch their breath and figure out what went right - and wrong.

"I felt like we could pick up the pace of the stunning revelations. I thought maybe the pace of the shocking surprises was a little too slow â?¦ We wanted to have a second half that was bigger and better and more exciting."

The show's story will pick up right where it left off, says Kripke, but as the season goes on, it will also explore more of the world beyond the war-torn Monroe Republic. So if you've wondered why these people haven't rediscovered pre-electricity technologies like steam engines and sewing machines, just wait. You'll be visiting other countries where those machines are thriving.

But don't worry; the break isn't changing the central focus of the show. It will at heart, says Kripke, continue to be a family show: "The Waltons with swords." And, says Abrams, the show's fictional world will continue to struggle along without most modern conveniences, for this season and, he hopes, for many seasons to come.